Looking Glass
by Mystical Authoress
Summary: Sequel to "Down The Rabbit Hole." Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was relieved that Praline returned home, after being missing for so long—and with an alive and well Denys Geneolgia, as well as apparently saving all of Wonderland! What he wasn't expecting was a visit from a version of himself that he already met long ago, and the chance to tell his own story about how he went to Wonderland...


Author note: I don't own Bravely Default/Second!

Soooo this takes place post-"Down The Rabbit Hole." If you haven't read that fic yet, you might want to because THIS IS THE SEQUEL! XD I'm so glad to continue the Wonderland!AU with this fic, and this time our main hero is Nobutsuna Kamiizumi (the one from Praline's world and the more-like-canon one we're all familiar with, not the Caterpillar!version of him from "Down The Rabbit Hole," though he'll also be involved). I hope you all enjoy reading this! XD

Warning: Spoilers for "Down The Rabbit Hole" to an extent, takes place post-Bravely Default/Second, Kamiizumi/Kamiizumi (YUP it happens), exploring sexuality, discussing sexuality, established Nobutsuna KamiizumixFiore DeRosaxGeist Grace

* * *

_**Looking Glass**_

Summary: Sequel to "Down The Rabbit Hole." Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was relieved that Praline returned home, after being missing for so long—and with an alive and well Denys Geneolgia, as well as apparently saving all of Wonderland!

What he wasn't expecting was a visit from a version of himself that he already met long ago, and the chance to tell his own story about how he went to Wonderland in the first place, while confronting his own feelings after it was all over.

* * *

Nobutsuna Kamiizumi was relieved Praline was back safely, after suddenly disappearing for a few months. He was happy that she was back, alive and safe.

He was also worried, though, about her own emotional wellbeing in addition to her physical wellbeing.

Praline decided, after coming back home, to take a 'hiatus' before getting back into her role as a Performer, to get used to normal life. Kamiizumi offered to let her stay at his home, with Minette and Tsubaki and Bismarck, and he was surprised that she agreed. He didn't think that she'd like the presence of the cats (and he was right at times, because the amount of shed cat hair around the house miffed her), but she got mostly used to them after a week. He was glad to have her company, and Minette, Tsubaki and Bismarck didn't mind her being around, save for the occasional fight over tiny things.

He just wondered how long it would take for her to recover.

Or how much she'd exactly went through, to get back home in the first place.

She only told him the basic gist of things at most (other than the detailing that the alternate him in Wonderland was a polyamorous Caterpillar who liked a lot of sex with his two lovers), and he hadn't pressed her for details, worried about her wellbeing.

Never did he think that he'd have to let a little secret out until the Caterpillar himself came to this world.

* * *

"I fell down a rabbit hole just like you two did…three years ago."

There it was.

The truth was out.

Kamiizumi never thought the truth would be out, but it was.

The Caterpillar, feminine as ever and far from the Knave of Hearts he once knew, simply smiled. Praline and Denys exchanged looks with each other, before the Peformer cleared her throat, put down her sword, and looked the Swordmaster in the eyes.

"So," Praline started, "You fell into Wonderland during your time of travelling alone."

Kamiizumi nodded. "Yes."

"And so you ended up staying with the Caterpillar—who _was,_ at the time, the Knave of Hearts still and while his daughter was still alive at the time."

"Yes—wait, what?" Kamiizumi looked to his mirror-self. "Your daughter…?"

The Caterpillar winced at that, biting his lower lip. "I'll explain later."

Praline grimaced at seeing him wince. "Sorry 'bout that."

The Caterpillar waved her off. "It's forgiven, dear. He would've known eventually." A faint chuckle escaped his rouged lips. "Continue."

"And while you were staying with him," The Performer finally managed, after a moment, "The now-Caterpillar, then-Knave, _totally_ had the hots for you in the process."

"As much as I don't want to admit it…" Kamiizumi faltered, looking to Caterpillar, who winked at him. The Swordmaster felt his face flush, but did his best to let it die down. "I have to say yes to that."

"But that doesn't explain one thing." Praline gave the Caterpillar himself a look. _"You _said the past Alice before me, that _happened to be a version of you,_ was _entirely straight! _You never said anything about him changing his stance on that!"

"He _**was**_ entirely straight at the time, Praline." The Caterpillar giggled. "I never said he _still _identified as straight _afterwards~!"_

"Oh my Crystals, Caterpillar!" The Swordmaster buried his face in one hand, or tried to, to cover a now-warm face. "Praline, I swear it's more complicated than what he makes it out to be!"

Praline looked to him with glimmering eyes, and the question that fell from her lips was one he dreaded.

"You two hooked up in Wonderland briefly, didn't you?"

"Crystals—no! _No! _That did not happen, Praline! Not entirely!"

"Kissed and made out but we didn't go _all_ the way." The Caterpillar elaborated, and Denys reacted with a complete jaw drop. "I encourage exploration, but I'm capable of respecting my partners' limits."

"I'm not gay." Kamiizumi spit out, realizing how weak his voice sounded. "I mean, okay, I'm probably not straight either. I just...let's just not ask. It's confusing, and…"

_Crystals, do I even know what way I __**am**__ anymore? _

Being in Wonderland and being so intimately affiliated with the Caterpillar did that to you. Make you _highly confused_, that is. He wasn't so sure if it was really being _in Wonderland_ that affected you, as opposed to being around_ someone_ _like the Caterpillar._

"You're not alone in your confusion." Denys managed, running a hand through his hair. He looked almost as red as him, and Kamiizumi didn't blame him for feeling the awkwardness shared between them. "The Caterpillar flirted with me _big time_, even after he got together with Geist and DeRosa from Wonderland while I was there. He even offered hooking up with _me_ when we initially got our Positions as the Caterpillar and Time back then."

Kamiizumi's gaze snapped towards his counterpart. "You _what?"_

"Guilty as charged, honey." The Caterpillar attempted a cute pout, and Kamiizumi cursed himself for thinking it was cute. "I think Denys is handsome. He _is _sexy, to be fair. He—"

Denys held up a hand, face flushed red. "No more compliments for now, thank you!"

"Oh. Sorry."

Kamiizumi gave the Caterpillar a look. "I never thought you'd…_change,_ so much." He finally managed.

"_You_ haven't changed a bit." The Caterpillar smiled, winking at him. "So how about we take some time to catch up, hm?"

* * *

It wasn't like the Caterpillar had a place to stay in Eternia, so Kamiizumi ended up taking him home with him. Praline, of course, accompanied them given that she was currently living with the Swordmaster. Denys also opted to accompany them on the way back after the Swordmaster offered to let him stay for dinner at least. Currently walking together through the snowy city of Eternia to get to Kamiizumi's house, the Kaiser made sure to wrap a spare scarf around his neck before going out (he did not fare well with winter weather).

Denys was grateful for that. It was weird enough for him to process that he was finally back in Luxendarc, with his brother Yew, and it was weirder now that the Caterpillar came directly from Wonderland to visit him, Kamiizumi and Praline. He supposed the weird things would never stop coming, given everything that happened.

"So," The Kaiser asked, "Is there a new Alice yet?"

The Caterpillar pursed his lips, shaking his head. "Sadly no. It's been rather dull without one. It's not the first time it takes a while for a new Alice to arrive, though."

"No?"

"No. Sometimes it takes up to six months. It's only been about a month since you and Praline left, right?"

"True." The Kaiser wasn't sure what else to say, but thankfully Praline spoke up next.

"How's Cheshire and Knave doing? Are they okay?"

Caterpillar giggled at the mention of them. "Oh, honey, they're doing fabulously. They send their warm regards, by the way. They both wanted to come with me, but then a few things came up, so it's just me that came."

Denys wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that. "…What things?"

"Just trying to figure out who should be the next Queen of Hearts. We're still searching for someone to replace Mahzer." The Caterpillar's face turned to a pout. "I would volunteer, but then I'd be rooted to a palace with scarily destructive powers _and_ I'd have to run all of Wonderland. Not exactly my cup of tea. Wouldn't give me much time for any _real_ _fun."_

Denys had a feeling what the Caterpillar meant by 'real fun' and so decided not to ask about that. "I knew the Queen of Hearts' role was…significant, but I can see why one would hesitate to take up the Position, given all of that."

"Exactly. Hopefully someone deems themselves worthy enough to volunteer for it."

"Huh." That seemed surprising to Denys. "I thought they would be rushing to get the Queen of Hearts' Position filled. What about, I don't know, Mephilia…?"

The Caterpillar, Praline and Kamiizumi all stared at him.

"Are you _really _sure you want Mephilia in charge?" Praline finally asked, raising an eyebrow.

Denys shuddered, then shook his head. "Point taken. Forget I suggested her."

Kamiizumi and the Caterpillar heaved collective, relieved sighs. Praline had a feeling that Kamiizumi probably didn't have a great experience meeting Mephilia when he was in Wonderland. No one had a good time, honestly. Praline didn't talk with Mephilia much, and Mephilia did almost kill Denys one time, so there wasn't much of a reason to trust her.

* * *

They all warmed up at Kamiizumi's house, the Swordmaster making hot cocoa for all of them to drink. Minette was out hanging out with Revenant and Geist, according to the note she left on the kitchen table, so it was just the cats in the house other than them.

"So, uh, you wanna tell us?"

"What?"

"How you two met?" Praline pressed.

"What it was like in Wonderland back when you were there, Swordmaster?" Denys added.

"How the heck you two hooked up? Are you, like, long-distance lovers or something?"

Kamiizumi sighed, leaned back against the couch, and instinctively felt the Caterpillar curl up against his side as he spoke. He didn't mind his counterpart doing so, at least for now. "I was in the middle of my travels…after our defeat in Starkfort."

He closed his eyes. He could remember it all, right now…the hot weather of the Eisen Region beating on his being, the small boat he managed to get after trading away any remaining pg and a couple of his belongings. Going to Florem.

"I eventually ended up in the Florem Region, and I was making my way through when I saw the Rabbit."

"White Rabbit?" Denys asked. "Jackal?"

Kamiizumi nodded, knowing he could do nothing but continue the tale. "That's him."

* * *

The Swordmaster ran through the forest thicket, trying not to lose track of the rabbit-eared man that was just a few paces ahead of him. He knew the man had his katana, the only weapon Kamiizumi had on him, and he couldn't let him get away. He forged that katana himself. He'd fought with it in battle all this time, even back fifteen years ago when he and Braev stormed Eternia and led the founding of the Duchy.

He yelled for the thief to stop (didn't he look a bit like Jackal, now that he noticed the guy's hair?), but they wouldn't.

And then they disappeared.

A few more steps made him realize why, as he started falling. Cursing his foolishness, he tried to reach for anything sticking out of the dirt walls, any edge that could be found, but there was _nothing _to break his fall.

Was this it? Was he going to _die_ once he hit the ground?

The answer was no, as he felt a sticky, but also somewhat bouncy surface underneath him, almost like a trampoline.

A yelp escaped him as he half-rolled in the air, before hitting another of the same surfaces, and then that was when he hit he grassy ground face-down. Dirt got in his mouth, and he spat it out, feeling the soreness travel through his limbs. Taking a slow, deep breath, he carefully pushed himself into a sitting position with both hands to guide him. Feeling his arms, then his own chest, he didn't feel any particular pain other than general soreness, so at least he didn't break a limb (at least, none that he knew of).

Looking up, he saw a massive hole. He must've fell through that, he realized. There was no way he could just climb out. Just to his right, he saw large, wide-capped mushrooms, in neon colours of pink, blue and green. The largest one was the size of a mansion, and the smaller ones were no smaller than a wide wagon. He took a few steps towards the mushrooms, extending his hand towards the cap of the lowest mushroom. Stickiness greeted his hand, and he grimaced, wiping it off on the sleeve of his kimono. He also hoped said stuff wasn't poisonous.

_At least I know what I landed on._ He looked down at himself. _And at least I'm not dead yet. But where am I?_

A rustling in the bushes caught his attention, and he looked to its source.

"Hello?" He called out.

Nothing at first, but then he heard a giggle. There were more rustling bushes, this time to his right. And then…

"Wellll, look who we have here."

Kamiizumi's gaze snapped in the direction of the voice, to his left, and he saw a woman step out. She resembled Mephilia Venus, but there were differences. She wore a pretty, glittery top hat that matched her coat, and her heeled boots were a leathery black.

She also had a scythe in her hands. That's probably not a good thing.

"Mephilia…?"

She laughed at him, throwing her head back, before pointing the scythe at him. "Ooooh! So you're one of those _newbies!_ This is gonna be, ah, fun."

Kamiizumi swallowed, took a step back. This was not the Mephilia he knew. He knew that she had her experience with the Flories and all affecting her head, but…there was something seriously off about her right now.

She jabbed the scythe towards him. "Ready to die?"

Kamiizumi knew he had no weapon. There was _no_ way he could go up against a scythe-wielding Mephilia Venus barehanded, especially not in his sore state. Without any further thought, he turned on his heel and ran for his life. He noticed the trees to his left, the beginning of a forest, and he quickly ducked past a few, hoping to lose her in the thick of the forest. Better to be lost and not dead than found and actually dead in the end.

He heard her laughter coming up behind him, and that only made him quicken his pace. His legs screamed at him to stop, and he felt them tense, still sore from the fall, but he knew he couldn't stop. He _had_ to lose her. He pushed past more bushes, quickened his pace, and then he tripped.

Swearing, he bit his lip to try silencing himself, but then he tasted blood as he hit the ground. Stumbling to his feet, he turned to his left as he passed through a gateway, noticing the appearance of trimmed bushes and hedges alike.

The roses in these bushes, Kamiizumi realized, were _painted_ red.

"Little Aliceeeee~!" Mephilia's voice echoed from behind him. "Come out and play~!"

Kamiizumi opted to hide behind some larger bushes nearby, hoping that she would pass by him. He heard movement get close to him, footsteps in the grass, and then they stilled. He held his breath. Hoped she would walk away.

His hopes were fruitless.

The scythe's blade stabbed itself through the bush he hid behind, thankfully not hitting him as it was inches away from his face. He rolled out from behind the bush, but that was when he felt the blade of the scythe gently poke against his throat, thankfully not cutting it. He stared up at her, silent, and she gave him a grin that could be described as 'shit-eating,' for lack of better words.

"Ready to die?" She repeated from earlier. He was about to say something, plead for his freedom, when someone else interrupted him.

A loud yell resonated through the clearing, just before a figure stepped out behind a wall of (presumably painted) red roses. He wore red and white armor, styled with a noticeable heart on the chestplate, and Kamiizumi could only stare at this new man.

Because this new man looked _exactly_ like him, save for the clothes.

The new figure stared right back at him, raising an eyebrow, before looking to Mephilia, pointing his sword at her.

"Mephilia," He stared, "I suggest you get off the Queen of Hearts' Territory. I'll give you five minutes."

Mephilia pouted, shaking her head. "Come onnnnn! He was my prey first!"

The other man scoffed. "Four minutes and forty seconds. Can you stop being a pain in the arse for once, dear?"

"UGH." Mephilia threw up a hand. "fine, fine, fine, you _win. _But if I see him at my tea party, he'll be the one served on a platter!" With that being said, she turned on her heel, disappearing behind a few bushes. Kamiizumi's look-alike sighed, and then turned to face him.

"Sorry about that, Alice." He spoke, still surprisingly calm despite what just happened. "I know she can be a bitch."

Kamiizumi can muster nothing but a "What?" Alice? What is this man talking about? Why does he look like me?

"Ah, wait." His look-alike looks like he might smack himself. "You're from the outside. Right. I have to explain this all to you, don't I?"

"Please," Kamiizumi managed, "Please do."

* * *

"And that's when he explained to me everything about Wonderland." Kamiizumi managed.

The Caterpillar pouted as he leaned back in his seat. "You forgot the part where I went and fed you all those scones and jam. You barely ate anything in the past week, you said!"

Kamiizumi suddenly looked sheepish, scratching the back of his neck as he corrected, "It was closer to one and a half weeks, actually."

Praline's jaw dropped. "How were you _alive?"_

"I have no clue, looking back on it."

"Dumb luck." The Caterpillar cut in. "Extremely dumb luck."

Denys stared at the Caterpillar. "But it's good luck, right?"

The Caterpillar and Kamiizumi looked towards each other, and shrugged.

* * *

The Knave of Hearts, who had the same name as Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, led him to a guest room.

"I know it's not much, but you can sleep here for now." The Knave reassured him. "Who knows how long you could be here?"

"How long?" Kamiizumi repeated, looking towards him. "Have past Alices before me stayed a long time?"

"Some stay for years. Others stay for less."

"I don't know if I'll stay for years."

He saw the Knave chuckle, leaning against the doorway as he looked towards Kamiizumi. Despite being the spitting reflection of him, it was clear that he acted different. He could sound both formal and informal at once, given the way he addressed him.

"Maybe you will. Or won't. We'll see." He paused, tilting his head to the side, before speaking again. "I must say, having an alternate version of me…having you here…" He winked. "It's pretty _nice,_ to be honest."

Kamiizumi has the feeling his alternate self is totally hitting on him. He's sure he's right about that.

"I'm sure it'll be nice to have someone sane around." Kamiizumi manages. "Is everyone as bloodthirsty as Mephilia?"

The Knave shrugs. "She's the worst of them. As long as you don't piss anyone else off, I think you should be good."

* * *

Kamiizumi learned, the next morning after wandering into the Caterpilllar Norzen's territory and seeing the Talking Flowers, that maybe he should've asked to what degree everyone else was considered 'sane.'

The Flowers, which appeared to be a whole bunch of flower-wearing maidens (reminded him of Florem, to be honest) all yelled at him to leave and threw flowers, petals, vines and rocks at him. Mainly the first three, but they still hurt just as much due to the still-attached thorns. Not many of them punctured the new clothing he received for temporary use (which was a white and blue, dress-like robe), but he was still miffed at the holes.

Norzen called off the ladies and brought him in, sitting him down and offering him tea. Kamiizumi accepted immediately. He didn't know of his own world having a version of this man, but he seemed rather calm, and wise for sure.

"It would do you best to avoid the Talking Flowers." Norzen managed as he sipped his tea. "I'm sorry you had to run into them first."

"They're not as bad as Mephilia." Kamiizumi managed, after a few sips of his tea. "It could be worse."

"True. It could be." Norzen chuckled, looking him in the eye. "You'll certainly run into more dangers while you're here, but I can see that you will survive them."

Kamiizumi faltered mid-sip. "You can _see_ it?"

"I can see the future, to an extent. Little flashes of it. That's how my role as the Caterpillar works."

The Swordmaster wasn't sure what to think of it, as he put his cup down. "I'm not sure. I mean, I almost died back where I came from, fighting a pupil I let down." Knowing that he let Edea down made him feel horrible, even if he was doing what he did for Braev's sake. For the Duchy's sake, and for the sake of the world. But no matter how great the reason might be, disappointing your loved ones still hurt.

"I can't say for sure how well you and your Edea will do in the future, but I'd like to hope for a happy ending."

Kamiizumi stared at him, but didn't comment. _Did he just read my mind?_

He didn't ask whether the Caterpillar could read minds, though. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to do that. Sometimes, ignorance could be bliss.

* * *

If there was something he could not be ignorant of, when he entered the White Rabbit's club, it was that the loud music echoing through the building made his ears ache. It took him a few moments to get used to it, and he managed to find a slightly quieter corner, farther away from the main speakers.

As he sat down, to look around at the amazingly colourful club (it reminded him of Florem, given some of the neon lamps shaped as flowers, a waiter came over to him, putting a drink down on the table.

"One non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri for you, sir."

Kamiizumi stared down at the drink, then up at the waiter (who he realized, now, looked a lot like Jackal and probably wasn't a waiter. "I…didn't order this."

"You didn't. But," The Jackal-look-alike smirked, and then jerked a thumb to their left, "He ordered it for you. It's on him."

Kamiizumi looked in his direction to see one Fiore-DeRosa-look-alike, who winked at him as they made eye contact a few tables away. The man was by himself, and he raised a matching glass of daiquiri to him as a toast, before taking a sip. Kamiizumi decided to maintain eye contact, trying to smoothly pick up the drink and take a sip, but that was when he nearly spilled it on the White Rabbit again, who glared at him.

"Try not to ruin the suit, okay?"

"Apologies." Kamiizumi muttered, just before Jackal left him to his drink. Kamiizumi quickly took a sip of his own drink, and that was when he heard a chuckle.

"You're not the Knave."

He looked up, and almost jumped at seeing DeRosa now standing right beside his table. He still held his drink in one hand, and he took another sip from it before speaking. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Is there an alternate version of me where you come from, perhaps?"

Kamiizumi took another sip of his daiquiri, eyeing him curiosly. This DeRosa wore a red and blue suit, with the roses printed on his blazer as opposed to being fabric-added decorations. DeRosa smiled at him, but it wasn't a leering one. More like flirtatious, for lack of better words.

"There was an alternate version of you back where I come from." He finally confessed. "He wore different clothes than you. Hair's the same, though."

"Was he as handsome as me?"

"No." Kamiizumi doubted he could call the one back in his own world 'handsome,' especially given all the crap that the DeRosa from his own world pulled off (attempted plans for a coup included).

"Ooh." This DeRosa laughed, then took another sip, still eyeing Kamiizumi. "Well, Alice, allow me to introduce myself. Fiore DeRosa, the best fucking dancer in this club that you'll ever meet."

Kamiizumi stared at him. "You know I'm the Alice?"

"We don't get outsiders often." The other man shrugged, sat down across from him, and took another sip of his drink. "And I heard word from many of the others in this place. Everyone knows that you're new. Let me guess…" He snapped his fingers with his other hand, "Your name is also Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, like the Knave we know in this world?"

"It is." Kamiizumi confirmed. This DeRosa was interesting. He seemed a little less slimy than the DeRosa he knew back home, but then again he'd be careful. "You said you're a dancer? You work here?"

"White Rabbit lets me stay here in exchange for the work." DeRosa briefly inspected his fingernails before speaking. "It's not bad. Loud, as expected, but fine."

Kamiizumi looked around briefly, wondering if anyone was listening in on them before looking towards him and asking, "Does chatting with every Alice that walks in here count as 'work' for you, or are you off your shift?"

"I'm off work right now." DeRosa took another sip. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be drinking."

"I see." Kamiizumi took a sip of his own drink. "I have to say, you're the least murderous person I've met in this world so far, other than Norzen and the alternate me." He shuddered as he thought of Mahzer Lee, the Queen of Hearts. "Even Mahzer here is far different than the one I know back at home."

Cue the raised eyebrow. "Was she less ruthless and bloodthirsty?"

"Yes…as well as many other things." Kamiizumi swallowed, and DeRosa raised an eyebrow.

"Many other things?" He echoed. "You had the hots for her?"

Kamiizumi fought the urge to glare at him. "I used to have feelings, but I realized she was in love with someone else."

"Funny," DeRosa leaned back in his seat, putting his drink down, "Because that reminds me of a certain Knave we know. See, he _really_ liked the now-King of Hearts, but he realized that Braev loved Mahzer and she loved him. So he had to let him go."

Kamiizumi stayed silent as he let that information sink in. _I suppose he and I aren't too different from each other, then. _

"How about this?" DeRosa asked, and Kamiizumi looked up at him.

"How about what?"

"You're bloody handsome, I'll give you that." Fiore hummed. "I could easily…hook us both a VIP room to share, for the rest of the evening. Make it nice and quiet, just for us."

The Swordmaster swallowed. He didn't expect to get propositioned already. Others had approached him, back in the world where he came from, but rarely did it ever happen. He didn't expect it to happen in Wonderland, either, but he supposed that things were particularly different here.

"I appreciate you…appreciating me," He managed, after a moment, "But I'll have to turn down that offer."

"Committed to someone else?"

"No, it's just," Kamiizumi struggled to find the right words, "I'm not…gay."

"Ah." DeRosa paused, before picking up his glass again. "Nothing wrong with not knowing yourself. Or knowing yourself well enough to know what you don't prefer. But it was very nice chatting with you, and," He offered him a reassuring grin, "I think we'll be talking again soon."

Kamiizumi let himself release a slow breath, relieved that it didn't feel any more awkward than it was. "I would love to talk again with you soon, too. Thank you. For our talk, and the drink."

"No problem." DeRosa winked at him, and then turned to leave. "Have a good night."

Kamiizumi watched him go, then took another sip of his drink. He never thought much of his sexual or romantic orientation. Hadn't really felt that way for men, as far as he knew, and assumed he fit the heterosexual and romantic norms after his crush on Mahzer.

But damn, he would be lying if he said he didn't find this version of DeRosa at least a little handsome.

* * *

"YOU LIKED HIM!?"

"I didn't think too much of it until later!" Kamiizumi resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands as Praline's jaw dropped. "All of this being in Wonderland was a crucial time of…self-discovery."

"Oh," The Caterpillar cooed, "It certainly was. You haven't gotten to the juicy stuff yet!"

Denys made a face. "Don't say juicy in that context."

"Why not?" The Caterpillar gave him a mild look. "It _was."_

Denys groaned. Praline looked like she was trying to ignore it. Kamiizumi could only offer her and Denys a sheepish look of his own. "There were plenty more times I had him flirting with me. But I also met that version of Geist, too."

Denys looked up at Kamiizumi. "Did he flirt with you?"

"No. But he certainly had his eyes on the then-Knave." Kamiizumi looked towards the Knave-now-Caterpillar, who smiled at him.

"I still adore his attention. Always did. Always will."

"Didn't stop you from flirting with me, though."

"Well," Caterpillar shrugged, "It's not everyday you get to romance someone who is you from an alternate world, hm?"

* * *

Kamiizumi found himself sitting in the house of one Geist Grace, dressed in white and not like the Exorcist he'd see when he return to his own world later on. He saw the small photo of a pregnant woman sitting beside Geist, the two looking happy as ever.

"That's Rev's mother. And Rev…within her, before his birth." Geist swallowed, his gaze flickering towards the photo, and then towards Nobutsuna. "She died in childbirth. My son…fell ill, a few years after he was born. I tried to save him, but he passed away in his sleep."

Kamiizumi swallowed. He'd heard of children dying of disease, from the Great Plague and all, and the children that were hurt or dead from the Mythril Mines haunted his conscience even now. "My condolences. I didn't realize…"

"No. It's alright." Geist shook his head, offered him a faint smile. "You're not from this world, so you wouldn't know."

"Is it just you?" The Swordmaster asked. "What do you do?"

"I live here in the town. The Knave, this world's version of you, comes to visit at times. He's one of the closest companions I have."

Kamiizumi thought back to what Fiore told him about the Knave. "Are you and him together, if you don't mind me asking?"

Geist's face flushed, and he looked away. "Ah, no, um…no. We're just friends, I assure you. But," He paused, put a hand towards his chin as if thinking, and then lowered it as he looked towards Kamiizumi, "I do understand that I have my sentiment for him. I'm not sure if he feels the same, and I'm not sure if I want to risk asking that yet. Then again," A chuckle escaped him, "He always likes the roses I give him every time he visits."

* * *

"Oh, Geist." The Caterpillar sighed dreamily as he laid back against the couch where he sat with Kamiizumi. "Such a sweetheart. I started falling for him first, to be honest, before I started developing just as much interest in Fiore. They're both wonderful men."

"And now you're with both of them." Praline pointed out.

The Caterpillar smiled at her. "Yes. I am. And I am very blessed to have them both by my side. Now back to the story, shall we?"

* * *

Kamiizumi eventually found his way back to the Queen of Hearts' castle, going into the halls. The Knave approached him, and he noticed blood on his armor.

"Are you alright?"

"Me?' The Knave looked down at himself, then up at him. "I'm fine. Alive, I assure you, and this isn't my blood."

"It's not yours?"

"No." He paused, swallowed. "I had to Execute a rebel today. It's never fun, but it comes with the Position I hold."

Kamiizumi paused, then looked him up and down. "Do you need any help, getting the blood off your armor?"

"No need, but thank you for offering." The Knave reassured him. A small smile rested on his face, surprisingly calm despite being covered in blood. "It's not the first time I've had to do this. I've been Knave for a while."

"A while? How long?'

The Knave gestured for him to follow, and Kamiizumi did as they kept speaking with each other. "For…quite a few years, I think. Same with everyone else. Some just decided to retire from their Positions at the time, and the past King and Queen of Hearts were among them, as well as the Knave. Mahzer and Braev became Queen and King, and appointed me as Knave."

"And you've had this Position since?"

"Yes."

Before either of them could speak again, a little girl came running over to them. Or, at least, Kamiizumi thought she was a little girl. She looked rather young, and wore cat ears and a purple-and-white-striped hoodie that had cat ears on the hood as well.

"Dad!" The girl crawled onto the Knave's shoulders, onto his back, and the Knave chuckle as he looked towards her.

"Hey, Minette. I see you're looking well today…"

Kamiizumi watched them both. "Dad?" He repeated.

Minette, the cat girl, looked at him, staring. "Is that ameowther you?"

The Knave nodded, smiling. "Yes, he is. This is the new Alice that dropped in. Has the same name as me, and he'll be staying here for the time being."

"Cool. Nice to meet mew!"

Kamiizumi smiled softly at Minette. "Nice to meet you too." He looked to the Knave. "I didn't know you had a daughter."

"Adopted daughter." The Knave clarified. "I met her a little while after I got the Knave Position, as she was also chosen to be the new Cheshire Cat at the time."

"I see."

"Dad," Minette cut in, looking between Kamiizumi and the Knave, "Is he joining us for dinner?"

"If he wants to." The Knave clarified, before looking towards Kamiizumi. "Would you like to join us?"

Kamiizumi smiled back. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"Okay. This is actually kind of cute." Praline smiled, trying to imagine all that in her head. The Caterpillar had a nostalgic look in his eyes as Kamiizumi retold that part, and then she remembered that this all took place long before Praline met the Caterpillar-then-Knave. Minette was already dead before she met the Caterpillar. She guessed that Minette must've died sometime after Kamiizumi left. Ouch.

"Caterpillar?' Kamiizumi looked towards the Caterpillar. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, dear." The Caterpillar wiped the corners of his eyes. "Just recalling all that, too. But I'll be okay. I promise."

Kamiizumi nodded, and then continued his tale.

* * *

Dinner went smoothly as it could be, and was delicious.

Kamiizumi thought it would be nice to traverse the castle gardens for a short walk, and the Knave and Cheshire Cat joined him. They walked and talked through the evening, Kamiizumi learning soon that the Knave also was good friends with Norzen, the Caterpillar, and usually avoided Fiore like the plague.

"Your Fiore seems nicer here than the one I know of from my world." Kamiizumi noted. "Why don't you chat with him?"

"He and I lead very different lives." The Knave noted. "He's a dancer at the White Rabbit's Club, and I'm Executing rebels and guarding the palace. I don't know if we'd work out like that."

Kamiizumi couldn't help but smile, think of Barras and Holly from his own world. "I've seen people from my world before get together, regardless of how differently they live their lives. Maybe you and him have a chance."

"We'll see." Knave could only shrug. "There's only so much that we know. I tried asking Norzen about my love life, if he could forsee anything, and he said that it was currently unclear."

"I see."

Minette would attempt perching herself on the Knave's shoulder, and the Knave chuckled, looking to his daughter. "We can do that next time, alright?"

Kamiizumi couldn't help but watch. "Is that even physically possible?"

"We'll see." Is all Minette said, before giggling. The Knave smiled, before petting her on the head gently.

"You should get some sleep. We'll have more time to get to know our friend in the morning."

"Awww." Minette pouted, but a soft look from the Knave made her finally nod. "Okay, I'll go take a catnap."

"there we go. Goodnight, Minette."

"Goodnight, meow!"

Kamiizumi bid Minette goodnight before Minette left their sight. "Where did she go?"

"Back to one of the rooms in the castle. Because I'm Knave and she is my adopted daughter, I was able to get permission for her to get her own room."

Kamiizumi nodded. "I see…"

"What about you?"

Kamiizumi blinked, looked up at the Knave. "What?"

"Do you have any family back at home? Any loved ones?"

Kamiizumi closed his eyes, thought back to all he lost.

Einheria. Braev. Edea. Mahzer. And Barbarossa, Praline, and Kikyo too. (He didn't really think much of Qada. Never liked him, anyway, given everything that happened.)

He imagined they were disappointed in him. Disappointed in all he didn't accomplish. Disapointed in what he did accomplish; the blood, sweat, and tears of innocents, families destroyed, the look of betrayal in Edea's eyes when she—

"Are you okay?"

Kamiizumi's chest felt tight. He felt dizzy, and he could only shake his head. He tried to speak, but his mouth felt dry. A pair of hands touched his shoulders gently, and he looked up to see the Knave looking him in the eyes.

"Do you want to sit down?"

Kamiizumi nodded, let the other man lower him into a sitting position on the grass. He tried to swallow, but then the Knave spoke up again.

"I want you to focus on my voice, okay? Can you do that?"

Kamiizumi nodded once. His hands still shook as he looked down at them.

"Close your eyes. I want you to take a deep breath for four seconds."

_One. Two. Three. Four. _

"Hold it for seven seconds."

_One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…._

"Slowly breathe out for eight seconds. And then repeat all that, okay?"

Kamiizumi kept his eyes closed as he breathed out for those seconds. He wasn't sure how long he repeated the process, but he stopped feeling dizzy after a while. His chest felt less tight.

After a little more time, he opened his eyes. He realized then that the Knave didn't have his hands on him anymore, and sat beside him.

"Are you okay?" The Knave asked.

Kamiizumi took one more deep breath, but sighed. "I think…I'm better."

"Good." The Knave smiled. "That's good."

The Swordmaster ran a hand through his own hair, shaking his head. "I can't remember the last time I felt like _that._ It usually doesn't happen. But…thank you. For helping." Then again, he knew too well that he had more of these little attacks since his barely-surviving being killed by Edea.

"You're welcome." The Knave went quiet after that, but

Kamiizumi looked towards him softly. "You helped me."

"I did."

"And I appreciate it. I'm just surprised you knew how to do this."

"Minette's had panic attacks before." The Knave swallowed. "She wasn't always part cat. It was…part of some experimental magic or something her biological mother did, to ensure she survived a deadly disease passing around at the time. I don't know how you manage your own, but I just thought at the time that it might help you."

"And it did." Kamiizumi smiled softly at the Knave, but then it faded as he let the explanation about Minette sink in. "I'm sorry to hear that she's gone through such an experience.'

"She's strong." The Knave reassured him. "She always pushes through."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Silence fell between them, and then Kamiizumi sighed.

"Back where I come from, to be honest…my relationships aren't in a good place. I let down a lot of people, hurt many, and lost a lot of people close to me. Some, I'm not even sure are still alive. I was involved in a civil war that I lost, and…there were people that looked up to me that I disappointed. I think I panicked because of that."

He wasn't sure if he could get into all the details, but at least that was the sum of what happened with him.

"I see." The Knave paused, before asking, "Do you want to talk more about it?"

"Maybe later. Right now…" Kamiizumi looked the Knave in the eyes, his gaze softening, "I…have a question."

"Go ahead. Ask away."

"How…do you know that you're sure if you're attracted to someone? Romance or otherwise."

The Knave stared at him. "Have you never asked yourself about what your romantic interests are?"

Kamiizumi paused. Looked down at himself. Looked up at his alternate self, staring him before shaking his head.

"I never really gave myself time to think about it that thoroughly." He confessed. "I was busy helping to establish the Duchy of Eternia. Busy tutoring his daughter, as well as others, and then later commanding a civil war in another region."

In a way, he never really had that much time to himself. Romance hadn't felt like an option to him to pursue at the time, because of all the other priorities he had back then. Now, it was different. He was in Wonderland, a whole new world. An odd fresh start, of sorts. Sure, he'd like to go home at some point, but for however long he was here in Wonderland, he did want to enjoy it (and stay alive, of course, given all the dangers).

"What if," The Knave managed, "We tried…experimenting, a little? Would you trust me to help you with that?"

"Experiment? You mean…" Kamiizumi felt his face flush, "Like, kissing, or…?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with trying. As long as we're _both_ mutually comfortable with trying it out." Knave reassured him. "And if you ever want to stop, that is most certainly fine as well. Okay?"

The Swordmaster thought about it for a moment. He was curious. And the Knave was offering to help with that. Sure, it seemed odd that he might do this with a whole other version of himself, but…

_Honestly,_ he thought, _who better to try this with than another me?_

"Yes."

The word barely passed his lips before the Knave leaned in to touch foreheads. Kamiizumi found himself inhaling deeply, then exhaling, before closing the gap between them for a kiss.

It was a brief, chaste sort of kiss, and the Knave tasted sweet (though the Swordmaster was sure that it was from the dessert they had after dinner, honeycakes if he remembered correctly). It made Kamiizumi want to try more, and he felt the Knave's arms wrapping around his waist, keeping him close. Kamiizumi let himself pull his head back, to breathe, and then went for another kiss. This was one was deeper, and he wasn't sure how to use his tongue, but he heard the Knave chuckle as he pulled back to breathe this time.

"That's very nice." He murmured, looking him in the eyes. "Did you like that?"

Kamiizumi smiled back at him, nodded once. "I did."

* * *

"What happened after?"

Kamiizumi looked towards her, running a hand through his own hair. "What happened after what, Praline?"

Praline shrugged. "After you two kissed. Did you two ever…"

"We never had sex." Kamiizumi did his best not to glare at her, despite his warming face. How many times had he blushed at this point? "I mean, we kissed a couple times, spent time with each other. I kept on exploring Wonderland. It went on like that for a while."

"And then?" Denys asked.

Kamiizumi looked him in the eye. "I came back home."

* * *

Kamiizumi woke up.

There were trees and grass all around him, and he wondered if he ended up in another part of Wonderland.

That was when he saw the many flowers scattered among the grass, and he realized: He was at one of the flower gardens, in Florem. The flowers looked normal; they were nothing like the zany, neon coloured daisies or the other flowers that had odd colour combinations that were completely out of place for even Florem to handle, even if Florem was the high-fashion place to be these days.

He sat up. Looked around. Checked himself for injuries, but there were none.

_I'm really back in Luxendarc._ He wrapped his arms around himself, realizing how cold he was. It wasn't freezing cold, nothing like Eternia, but it was clearly close to nighttime, given the setting sun.

That was when he heard a weak _meow._

Looking to his left, he saw a very small, orange and white-striped cat. It couldn't be any older than maybe a couple of days, in his opinion. Probably still a kitten.

Even worse, it was all alone.

Kamiizumi knew that wouldn't do. He picked up the cat and cradled it carefully in his arms. The cat hissed at him, but it still sounded weak, and the Swordmaster knew he had to get help.

"It'll be okay." Kamiizumi whispered to the cat. He took a deep breath, keeping his eye on the small cat in his arms. "I promise, I'll keep you safe."

* * *

"…So that's how you met Tsubaki."

"Yes." Kamiizumi leaned back in his seat a little, gazing towards Denys. "That's how I met him. And that's the end of my Wonderland journey."

"There were more parts to that." Caterpillar noted, shrugging, "But I think that about sums it up."

"Wait, there was more?"

Kamiizumi offered Praline a soft grin. "I did spend three years in there, after all. But I don't think I can speak of three years' worth in one evening."

Denys leaned back in his seat, but then he yawned, covering his mouth. "As much as I appreciate you telling us all of us, I do think it'd be best to continue this another time."

"You can stay over if you'd like. It's rather late." Kamiizumi offered, but Denys shook his head, getting up.

"I appreciate the invitation, Swordmaster, but I promised Yew I'd help him out with some Crystal Orthodoxy-related matters first thing tomorrow morning." The Kaiser had, since returning from Wonderland, started helping his little brother reform the Orthodoxy (and it was far from a small feat). He looked towards the Caterpillar, offering him a quiet grin. "It was good to see you."

Caterpillar winked at him. "Good to see you too, dear. Have a good night."

"Good night."

Denys left, thanks to a Teleportation Crystal. Kamiizumi noticed Praline yawn a bit as he looked towards her. "Do you need to sleep as well?"

"No, I wanna stay up _longer."_ Praline protested, but another yawn cut her off. Kamiizumi couldn't help but grin. In a way, she was still the same teenager that he first met when she joined the Black Blades (they spent four years in Eisen together, after all, during that civil war).

"I think you should take his advice, darling." Caterpillar murmured, smiling at her. "Go sleep. We can tell you much more tomorrow."

"Alright, alright." Praline got up from the couch, smoothing down her skirt a little before smiling softly at them. "Gonna go sleep. Promise you won't be too loud?"

"Promise." Kamiizumi smiled back at her. "Goodnight, Praline."

"Night!" Praline left the two, turning the corner as she left the room to presumably go down a hallway. Caterpillar watched her go, before looking at his alternate, Luxendarc self.

"She stays with you?"

Kamiizumi swallowed. "She was in quite a shock when she first came back. I thought it best that she stay with me for now. To recover and all. In our world, she's been gone for three months. And it's only been about a month since she and Denys returned. They're still adjusting, but I think they're getting better."

"Mm. I see." The Caterpillar looked in the direction Praline went once more, and then laid eyes on Kamiizumi. "And that's only three months. What did three years do to you?"

Kamiizumi closed his eyes and let himself sink against the couch, turning on his side to face the Caterpillar a little better. "A lot of reflection. A lot of learning, and exploring." He opened his eyes, making eye contact. "Being with you meant a lot to me. You helped me learn things about myself that I didn't know before."

The Caterpillar reached a hand towards his face, cupping his cheek as he kept gazing at him. "You really have missed me, haven't you?"

"Yes." Kamiizumi was tempted to lean forwards, kiss him again like they did when they first reunited, but he hesitated. "I know you have people you love now. And I'm still hoping I might fall in love with someone one day here."

"I almost feel like I've ruined your first experience of love." The Caterpillar admitted. It was his turn to close his eyes. "Me not being around must've caused you some heartbreak, and I never meant to do that."

"I might not be with you, that's true." Kamiizumi managed, and he watched his alternate self's eyes open again. "But I think I'll always cherish what we have."

It was the Caterpillar's turn to kiss him, and Kamiizumi let him. He didn't know how long the Caterpillar might stay until he went back to Wonderland. He didn't know whether he would fall in love with someone else in his own world after this. But, for now, he'd cherish the time they had right now. Those memories were worth remembering.


End file.
